This invention relates generally to massage devices and more particularly relates to electroneurological stimulating devices for treating and relieving pain.
The use of electricity to stimulate the nervous system for the treatment of pain has been long known in the art. The treatment is effected by providing for electrical stimulation of nerve fibers through the skin (transcutaneous) and has become a widely accepted method of providing pain relief. In the prior art devices a circuit sends electrical signals through the surface of the skin. One such device has a pair of rollers which serve respectively as work and ground electrodes for conducting small electrical pulses through the skin. Treatment with this type of device results in barely subdermal electrical current being conducted between adjacent rollers, with little or no resultant electrical stimulation of nerve fibers. Subsequent devices developed include a roller electrode with the ground electrode being formed by the handle of the device or by adhesive electrodes. These devices do not provide any method of treating a particular point, such as acupuncture points. The electrical circuits used in these previous devices generate dangerously high electrical output voltage, and could cause excessive stimulation, if not carefully used.